tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58097892746170655782018-03-07T16:50:47.390-06:00The Totah QuotaThoughts on Travel, Food, Technology and life in generalFunny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-77829841442041957962013-11-04T10:59:00.001-06:002013-11-04T10:59:04.508-06:002014 Southeast Asia vacation planning postOnce again it's time to start planning the most fun part of my year. Planning my upcoming "discovery" vacation.<br /><br />For 2014 I think it's time to explore Southeast Asia...<br /><br />Thanks to my miles and points I have flexibility to lock in dates and places until February of 2014. After that I won't be able to change things around as much.<br /><br />For places to visit here's my initial thoughts: Bangkok, Vietnam, Singapore and Japan.<br /><br />The following is the <b>tentative</b> calendar:<br /><br />Saturday June 28th - Arrive Beijing at 5 am and leave at 5 pm<br />Sunday June 29th - Bangkok<br />Mon June 30th - Bangkok<br />Tue July 1st - Bangkok<br />Wed July 2nd - Bangkok<br />Thu Jul 3rd - Vietnam<br />Fri Jul 4th - Vietnam<br />Sat Jul 5th - Vietnam<br />Sun Jul 6th - Singapore<br />Mon Jul 7th - Singapore<br />Tue Jul 8th - Singapore<br />Wed Jul 9th - Singapore<br />Thu Jul 10th - Red-eye flight from Singapore to Tokyo (arrive NRT at 9 am)<br />Fri Jul 11th - Tokyo<br />Sat Jul 12th - Tokyo<br />Sun Jul 13th - Fly back to Houston at 5 pmFunny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-59336920690407801242013-04-20T16:43:00.001-05:002013-04-20T16:47:39.429-05:00Buenos Aires recommendationsThanks to my regular visits to Buenos Aires, I've gotten to give this post a lot of thought and experimentation.<br /><br />Several friends have asked me for suggestions when visiting Buenos Aires, so I thought I'd store this post for future reference:<br /><br /><div>Buenos Aires has an amazing food scene, while it's very varied in all the kinds of food you will find, i have mostly stuck to the basics: Steak, pizza and pasta, and a few special places that I try to visit on every trip, because i find them awesome:</div><div>Before going into the "go-to" places, I will warn you about one, which is touristy and over-hyped. Do NOT go to Cabana las Lilas... it is priced for tourists and over hyped. If you're in Puerto Madero my favorite restaurants are: Mirasol (or Miraflor) a block away if you're craving steak, Sotto Vocce if you're looking for pasta.</div><div></div><div>For most places in Buenos Aires you will want to make reservations for dinner, keeping in mind that while most dinner places open at 8 pm people don't have dinner until 10 pm or later.</div><div>- Sipan (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d1389962-Reviews-Sipan-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>Restaurant_Review-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d1389962-Reviews-Sipan-Buenos_<wbr></wbr>Aires_Capital_Federal_<wbr></wbr>District.html</a>) &nbsp;- This is probably the clearest example of the last category i mentioned. The restaurant's specialty is Peruvian Fusion - the sushi is some of the best I've had, but their peruvian dishes like the Tacu Tacu and Lomo salteado are also great. If you can deal with spicy food ask them for some of their secret hot sauces.</div><div>- La Brigada (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g312741-d1066282-r146939961-La_Brigada-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>ShowUserReviews-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d1066282-r146939961-La_<wbr></wbr>Brigada-Buenos_Aires_Capital_<wbr></wbr>Federal_District.html</a>): For real Argentinean parrilla (steak house) this is one of the places to go to. The steaks are so tender that in most cases the waiter will make a show of cutting the steak with a spoon... THAT good! </div><div>- Fervor (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d1538506-Reviews-Fervor-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>Restaurant_Review-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d1538506-Reviews-Fervor-<wbr></wbr>Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_<wbr></wbr>District.html</a>) Another great parrilla.</div><div>- Juana M (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d1139318-Reviews-Juana_M-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>Restaurant_Review-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d1139318-Reviews-Juana_M-<wbr></wbr>Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_<wbr></wbr>District.html</a>) was recommended to me by a flight attendant who traveled often to BA. The quality of the food was amazing and probably the best value for the money&nbsp;I found. During that trip I found it so solid I went there twice because it was good food at very low prices... it's a bit tough to find though because it's in a basement with some strange vertical banners with the name.</div><div>- Campo di Fiori (at the corner of San Jose and Venezuela streets): Probably one of the best Italian restaurants in Buenos Aires. The pasta is made freshly on site and is a must if you ever crave Italy quality pasta outside of the home country. Remember Buenos Aires probably has one of the largest Italian backgrounds of any country outside of Italy.</div><div>- La Guitarrita (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d2410433-Reviews-La_Guitarrita-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>Restaurant_Review-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d2410433-Reviews-La_<wbr></wbr>Guitarrita-Buenos_Aires_<wbr></wbr>Capital_Federal_District.html</a>)<wbr></wbr>: One of the&nbsp;classic argentinean pizza places, make sure you also try their empanadas with a quilmes beer.</div><div>- Tancat (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d811809-Reviews-Tancat-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/<wbr></wbr>Restaurant_Review-g312741-<wbr></wbr>d811809-Reviews-Tancat-Buenos_<wbr></wbr>Aires_Capital_Federal_<wbr></wbr>District.html</a>) Spanish Tapas. This place is right across the street from Sipan... i left it for last because I will save it for when&nbsp;I really need a change of pace from the great food in Argentina and want to taste something hard to find at home. The food here is like being in Spain for Tapas.</div><div></div><div></div><div>For Desert you have to eat Ice cream at Freddo or Persico, look for "Dulce de leche" flavors... my favorite/mandatory one is "Dulce de leche tentacion", beyond that just go crazy with tasting as much as you can. Also get an Alfajor at Havanna (actually, try one of each)</div><div></div><div>Enjoy a "Tostado" (Ham and&nbsp;cheese&nbsp;toasted sandwich that i love)&nbsp;and Cafe or Cafe con Leche at one of the thousands of coffee shops on the sidewalks (check out Florida street)... their Medialunas (croissants) are also worth the extra calories... make sure to try both the butter and "fat" ones. Any pastry with dulce de leche is one of the most wonderful gifts to humanity Argentina could deliver... actually, dulce de leche in any form is the best substance in the world (after Malbec of course!)</div><div></div><div>Go see a Tango Show at night. I went to "La esquina de Gardel" because we got a local contact to get us an awesome deal on it, but i'm sure your hotel can find a good option. Well worth it. Sadly enough you won't make it to see San Telmo during a Sunday. There's Tango dancers in the streets, and a lot of shops selling quaint stuff.</div><div></div><div>For shopping you'll find a lot of leather goods stores around the city, unfortunately I can't be sure on what is a good deal anymore and due to issues with the exchange rate I'd say Argentina is not currently "cheap".</div><div></div><div>Due to a different gravitational vortex, none of what i mentioned above makes you gain weight... until you leave Argentina! So enjoy your time there and ignore any semblance of being healthy while in the country....</div>Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-42039973924959536022012-05-12T08:45:00.003-05:002012-05-12T09:02:40.232-05:00Indian Wedding first experienceAfter almost 3 full days of celebrating a real Indian Wedding I feel like I have truly loved the whole experience. <br /><br />Starting with the foundation established by a large family who really loves each other and built with a very rich culture on top, the wedding has been nothing short of fascinating. <br /><br />Our first party was an unofficial family get together. Where the groom's family, who find themselves living all around the world, got together for the first time in many years to start catching up. This took place in a farm close to a beach, we took our time meeting each other over pizza and hanging out by (and in) the pool to fight off the heat, while the women in the party got henna tattoos done. That night the bride's family and friends joined us for a fun outside dinner of vegetarian Indian fare. Out of all the wedding celebrations this was the only one where alcohol was served, which as I'm told is very common in south Indian weddings, and completely different from their North Indian brethren. During this first dinner hosted by the groom and his family a lot of family celebrations were highlighted including multiple milestone birthdays of cousins, uncles and grandparents. I should highlight that most of the 40 people I met that morning were cousins of the groom. The celebration was full of funny family moments and a few emotional ones. It was a great introduction to the family we'd be sharing the next few days with.<br /><br />The second morning there was a very early, solemn ceremony to which the groom recommended I skip since it was fairly long (3 hours approximately), and most of his family would also be skipping since it was completely in Sanskrit and the essence of it would be repeated throughout the next couple of days. So in true form for my family background I went shopping for clothes to wear over the next couple of days. I bought a traditional short sleeve Kortu to wear during the second night for the engagement ceremony and a long Kortu to wear for the main wedding ceremony during the third day. <br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-knPFZUtNDVI/T65m7CKvlkI/AAAAAAAAAIE/KstMM7BIECI/s1600/IMG_7747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-knPFZUtNDVI/T65m7CKvlkI/AAAAAAAAAIE/KstMM7BIECI/s320/IMG_7747.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional South Indian wedding meal</td></tr></tbody></table>As we arrived in the afternoon to the wedding venue we were welcomed with an "afternoon snack", which was delivered in the traditional South Indian wedding meal format of a bamboo leaf that was used as a plate and place setting and different tasty dishes served directly on top of it by the line of waiters that would keep refilling the dishes until one begged them to stop. The food consisted of some rice and/or noodles, naan (bread) surrounded by different sauces, chutneys or other fixings, which people used their hands to mix and eat. As this was my first time eating this way I was lucky to be handed a spoon to better enjoy my snack.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0w88X5xKs4/T65kPH4hmPI/AAAAAAAAAH4/SX-jCn3xlRU/s1600/IMG_7766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0w88X5xKs4/T65kPH4hmPI/AAAAAAAAAH4/SX-jCn3xlRU/s320/IMG_7766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcoming the groom's carriage</td></tr></tbody></table>During the second day in the afternoon the wedding officially began for us with the traditional engagement ceremony. During this ceremony the groom is welcomed into the wedding hall and in our case Karthik arrived on a horse driven carriage led by all his friends and family dancing in front of him to set the tone for the happy festivities.<br /><br />Upon the groom's arrival into the wedding hall his bride-to-be is brought out and the go onto the stage together where the ceremony is to take place between the families and the hindu priests. The ceremony is steeped in traditions and there's a long list of activities that took place throughout, to set the stage for the wedding terms. This included gift exchanges between the groom and bride's families and it finished with the announcement of the wedding details including the precise date and time for the marriage ceremony to take place. In this case the time for the ceremony is very specifically defined by the astral charts of the couple, so this is different for every couple who weds.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7XErNEPN14/T65o6lkxfDI/AAAAAAAAAIM/bPB04P6ErHc/s1600/IMG_7803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O7XErNEPN14/T65o6lkxfDI/AAAAAAAAAIM/bPB04P6ErHc/s320/IMG_7803.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After the traditional portion of the ceremony we were treated to a beautiful dance show that was put on by Karthik's sister and aunt who had trained for years in dance. As it turns out this was the first time they both danced together, in his aunt's case she hadn't done an actual dance show for 19 years, but the show was so great we couldn't tell.<br /><br />At the end of the show we proceeded to eat another dinner served on a bamboo leaf, before heading back to our hotel to get a bit of rest, since the 3rd day of the wedding was scheduled to start very early for us in order for the ceremony to take place by the scheduled time...Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-44818523753344704972012-05-03T10:57:00.001-05:002012-05-12T09:02:27.508-05:00Day 4 - Tripping to GoaAir-travel is never for the faint of heart or the impatient, is something that I've learned over my years of traveling for business, but that is more so when you're doing domestic travel in a country you don't understand the local language. When doing international travel the airlines and authorities try to make as much as possible understandable to foreigners. When traveling domestically there's a feeling that people who submit to it, do so at their own risk. <br /><br />While I am thankful that English is fairly common in India, the domestic terminal contended with some craziness beyond the regular TSA craziness. For example, my chap stick and listerine pocket packs were submitted to serious scrutiny by the security guard (even using his metal detector wand on them), yet my water bottle and bananas made it through untouched... Awesome!<br /><br />I flew on a company called Indigo, which is considered one of India's best low cost carriers, and I must admit that they had great service during the smooth 2 hour flight. One thing I'm kicking myself for was not snapping a picture of their job ad seeking stewardess. Politically correct snobs in the US would have had a heart attack at some of the requirements (could actually use less PC snobs, which is why I'm sad I forgot to get a picture of it).<br /><br />The arrival into the Goa airport went very well, with the exception of the lack of cleans toilets around, which wouldn't have been an issue until I got on the shuttle to the hotel and was told by the driver it would take more than an hour to get to the hotel. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XN8bUNHT2a8/T65smQHvI-I/AAAAAAAAAIo/s1f-Mu29Ywk/s1600/IMG_7654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XN8bUNHT2a8/T65smQHvI-I/AAAAAAAAAIo/s1f-Mu29Ywk/s320/IMG_7654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel beach in Goa</td></tr></tbody></table>The drive to the hotel, for me, was a mix of wanting the driver to speed up and hoping we wouldn't get into an accident. It's a common misconception that people in India drive on the left side of the road, but based on my experience they actually drive on BOTH sides of it while trying to pass other slower vehicles and cows on the road... To make matters scarier I was already warned that if I ever get into a traffic accident in India I should flee the scene immediately by any means necessary... I've been warned that any sort of accident normally develops into a full out riot where people's from the street end up beating up the offending party, even if they're only a passenger... So just in case my first task is to figure out how to escape the taxi or shuttle bus.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z032-7tUf-o/T65sO-IrleI/AAAAAAAAAIg/cqtSCawiSj8/s1600/IMG_7652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z032-7tUf-o/T65sO-IrleI/AAAAAAAAAIg/cqtSCawiSj8/s320/IMG_7652.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patio outside my room</td></tr></tbody></table>When I reached the Taj holiday village, I was very pleasantly received and checked into the hotel while sitting comfortably on a couch and sipping some watermelon juice. I was told about the extensive facilities in the resort (pools, beaches, restaurants and other great services) and shown to my nice sea facing room/cottage. The Taj in Delhi had communicated with them to let them know about my Delhi belly so throughout the stay most managers have inquired as to how I'm feeling and have tried to ensure the food I'm eating isn't going to upset my stomach.<br /><br />By 10 pm I was so exhausted I was out like a light, since it was a very full day with all the travel... I also wanted to be ready to enjoy some of Goa on day 5.<br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-85994520285070612042012-05-02T11:25:00.001-05:002012-05-02T11:25:22.806-05:00Day 3 - Delhi belly crapped me out...It's funny that I put on paper/blog form what my plans were for each of the segments of the trip, since I'm starting to feel that in hindsight it may not happen like that...<br /><br />In the end on Tuesday my day went very different than what I had planned, instead of spending most of the day exploring Delhi and its sights, I ended up trying to recover from Delhi belly (also known as travelers diarrhea or moctezumas revenge) in bed. I guess I will never be 100% sure what caused it, but this being India, I'm sure there were a lot of possibilities. <br /><br />While I won't go into details, I will say that I ended up having to cancel my guide and driver 30 mins. Before we were scheduled to leave because I scared the hell out of the club lounge stuff by looking very pale and ready to pass out. Which does bring me to my next recommendation. If you're going<br /> to contract any sickness while traveling, there's no better place to do so than at a Taj property with a club floor access (ok, maybe home is a better place, but not for me... I don't have a butler at home). During the whole day, the club staff was checking in on me and they send me rehydration salt water, lemonade with salt and other concoctions to speed up my recovery. They even checked with the hotel doctor on ideal steps for me to feel better, since I had by then taken my antibiotics the doctor figured he wouldn't be needed as long as I fought the dehydration.<br /><br />Overall, day 3 was pretty uneventful, since I just drank water and napped between trips to the bathroom... <br /><br />I guess now I have a reason to go back to Delhi... To explore all those sights I missed.<br /><br /><br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-15907213111674295172012-04-30T06:59:00.001-05:002012-05-12T09:02:18.381-05:00Day 2 - Agra and the Taj MahalI have to start out by saying that I'm exhausted at this point. I've been awake since 4 am and I walked way too many hours in the sun already. To make matters worse I have at least 5 more hours to make it to the hotel where I plan to very quickly pass out. <br />With that out of the way, let me explain why I feel so tired. This morning I left the hotel early to board the train known as the Shatabdi Express that makes the daily trip from Delhi to Agra, leaving Delhi at 6 am. This option was recommended to me as the most efficient and fastest, which made sense so I took it. In an effort to control some of the chaos of the day I asked the hotel in Delhi to book me a driver and guide for the day. <br />After an interesting 2 hour train ride through the Indian countryside I arrived in Agra where I was met by my very nice driver called Bima. We drove to the local hotel to pick up our guide, Mr. Mayank. After picking Mayank up, we proceeded to draw up a plan for the day. <br /><br />We would first go check out the Taj Mahal, then visit the Agra Fort followed by the baby Taj before stopping for lunch. <br />First, the Taj Mahal, a monument to love of a woman and love of perfection. The complex took 22 years to complete using thousands of skilled laborers and slaves. Even after 400 years the buildings look pristine thanks to the stone used in its construction. All of the paintings and designs on the rocks are inlaid stones, which make it keep it's color and design through the centuries. I was lucky to walk with Mayank around the site, since or only did he know a lot of interesting facts (the columns outside the main building are actually leaning out, this was done on purpose, in case for an earthquake they wouldn't fall on the main structure) about the place, but also had a lot of experience on what were the best points to take pictures from (will add some soon).<br />The Agra fort was the emperor's city. It housed him, his family, his armies and many of his cabinet. Currently only 25% is open to the public, since the rest is actually under use by the Indian Army as their barracks. The Agra fort also had its own market and square that served as a kings court to the people.<br /><br />After a buffet lunch in a local hotel we'd go visit Akbar's tomb. At this point I need to now wait about 3 hours to be driven to the station so I can take the train back to Delhi. Arriving back in the hotel around 10:30 PM.<br /><br />Let's be very candid and direct, Agra is a very dirty, messed up place. If not for the beautiful monuments it wouldn't make it on a map. But there is something inspiring and amazing about the buildings in this city. The scale of these projects challenges the mind to understand that these were created 400+ years ago, yet they look perfect in almost every way. All without PCs (or Macs)<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress<br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-49005521280184027002012-04-29T09:22:00.001-05:002012-05-12T09:02:10.520-05:00Delhi exploring - Day 1After a great arrival into Delhi (see previous post), this morning kept that theme to the trip.<br /><br />After pushing myself out of bed at 9:39 am, to ensure I took advantage of the hotel's included breakfast, I was able to set up with, the club concierge the schedule for my next few days of transport and activities in Delhi/Agra. <br /><br />Since it was a "lazy Sunday" I decided to hang out by the pool for an hour before heading out on my initial exploration foray. After a relaxing morning by the pool I realized I was feeling hungry around 1 or 2 pm and after securing some info for the hotel I decided to go check out the Khan market close to the hotel by foot. Ironically enough I didn't make it 50 feet before falling for the great Indian hospitality of a rickshaw driver named Mohan, in the 100+ degree weather, he would save me the walk and show me around the city for a fraction of what I was ready to pay for a metro pass.<br /><br />My first stop was Khan Chacha (after declining a hotel recommendation for a an Italian restaurant - after explaining to the concierge I didn't come all the way to India to eat Italian fare). My best description of Khan's is what I texted some friends familiar with Austin as "Rudy's in New Delhi". The place was nothing to look at, and the ordering process was very similar to Rudy's. Walk up to a board and order your meal. I had some grilled tika chicken and some mutton to accompany it with. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WF0QWLXOobU/T65pxuzgHaI/AAAAAAAAAIU/G_ufdbk0G9M/s1600/IMG_7537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WF0QWLXOobU/T65pxuzgHaI/AAAAAAAAAIU/G_ufdbk0G9M/s320/IMG_7537.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohan and his rickshaw</td></tr></tbody></table>I was not surprised to find Mohan, my new found brother-from-a-different-mother, waiting for me where he dropped me off, a block from the restaurant. From that point on my real rickshaw tour of Delhi got started.<br /><br />Mohan took me to the parliament house and prime minister's house, before heading over to the Delhi Gate. After visiting the Delhi gate I was taken to the rickshaw expected "store", that had a huge bounty of silk and trinket items. After the store we visited the Lodi Gardens and got to walk through Sikander Lodi's tomb before heading to a final "store", where I couldn't find a thing to buy and then dropping me off at my hotel again. Since it was relatively early I managed to get a few more hours of sitting by the pool before enjoying the cocktail hour at the hotel and going for an early dinner at one of the restaurants that Mohan suggested... After all, he IS my brother.<br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-27117683905687002022012-04-29T08:49:00.001-05:002012-05-12T09:01:46.247-05:00Delhi explorer arrivalIn an attempt at mock vanity I will quote myself (unless I read this somewhere and forgot where):<br />"In order to find yourself, you must first get lost" - Mike Totah<br /><br />Today when writing to family I said that in order to discover true 5 star service, everyone should visit India at least once in their life. On a friend's recommendation I booked a club level room at the Taj Mahal hotel in New Delhi. The room included airport pickup amongst other things.<br /><br />After a very nice long flight I landed in Delhi a bit tired, but in good shape considering that the trip took almost 24 hours and with the time difference I was truly lost in time. I was received outside customs by a very nice uniformed driver who took my suitcase, led me to the hotel's brand new jaguar sedan and gave me a bottle of water before very quickly driving me to the hotel. In my travels I've checked into many hotels all over the world, including supposedly "premier" service, but nothing like my reception at the Taj. When we arrived (after the regular bag examination via X-ray machine) I was received by a concierge who greeted me by name (the taxi driver posted the sign on his windshield after we passed through the gates) and then led me up to my room, where she proceeded to take me through the hotel amenities and had me check in, in my the comfort of my own room. Then she recommended some restaurants for dinner, and even got me a reservation to one of the great hotel restaurants for the same night, and when she found out I was on vacation went to get me several tour and site suggestions for my visit.<br /><br />The ease and beauty of it all just made me feel very welcome to a great country. <br /><br />I grant the point that this is not the regular traveler's fare and experience, but it was a very smooth arrival compared to the contrasting description I've received from multiple friends.<br /><br />On an extra note, the dinner at Varq, the recommended restaurant, was wonderful, given my recent arrival and exhaustion level I decided to do a "tapas" style dinner of multiple appetizers that allowed me to try different local cuisine styles. Everything was delicious and left me wanting for more (though by the third dish I was full). <br /><br />I will add pictures in the near future, but the menu consisted of grilled tandori-style prawns (grilled seafood), followed by tomato mozzarella samosas (vegetarian menu) and a chicken trio that included grilled chicken (tandori), chicken in creamed sauce and skewered chicken. As an extra surprise I also was given a Guava sorbet in a steaming cup. The sorbet is to cleanse the palate before the main dish, but by that point I couldn't eat anymore, so I took the sorbet as my desert and made a quick visit to the hotel bar for a Kingfisher beer before falling asleep in my room.<br /><br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-25887411249607245312012-04-27T15:05:00.001-05:002012-05-12T09:03:08.413-05:00India bound"Where are you going, sir?"<br />"Delhi in India"<br />"Oh, for business?"<br />"Nope, vacation"<br />"Vacation????"<br /><br />-----<br />I've been part of this or similar conversations for the past month or two since I started sharing my plans to visit India for the first time. As adventuresome as I'd like to believe I am, I wouldn't be making this trip without a bigger reason, which is that of a friend getting married in Chennai. So what better way to discover India and experience a local wedding on the same trip. <br /><br />Luckily my job gives me enough airline miles that it made getting a decent plane ticket easy. And thanks from some other friends coaching me on destinations I settled on a quick 11 day itinerary to visit Delhi, Goa, and Chennai. Call it my version of eat, pray, love. But instead I'd call it explore, rest, celebrate. I will make that the theme for this trip and this blog post series. <br /><br />On that note, off I go into the exploration phase. That as every big journey starts with one little step. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress<br /><div class="blogpress_location">Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=In%20the%20air%20heading%20to%20Newark&amp;z=10">In the air heading to Newark</a></div>Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-12241533675194967602012-04-20T10:36:00.002-05:002012-04-20T10:36:22.745-05:00Media MentionsHere are some of the press interviews I've had the opportunity to take part in for work over the past few months and years:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.prensariotila.com.ar/1862-Dell-busca-ser-referente-tambien-en-networking-con-Force10.note.aspx">Force 10 Launch Interview in Argentina - April 2012</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cronista.com/contenidos/2012/03/13/noticia_0017.html">El Cronista, Argentina - March 2012</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.computerworld.com.co/uploads/descargas/cw410.pdf">ComputerWorld Colombia - September 2011</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://tecno.americaeconomia.com/noticias/dell-y-su-entrada-al-mercado-de-los-centros-de-datos">AETecno in Chile - November 2011</a><br /><br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-73990248937014894652011-09-10T21:02:00.001-05:002011-09-10T21:02:58.574-05:00Lessons learned in my visit to Melbourne1. Melbournians LOVE their sports.<br />2. Australian Rules Football (also known as Footy) makes no sense to non Australians.<br />3. In a confrontation between you or a tram, the tram seems to always win. If you see one coming, MOVE, because their drivers will NOT stop.<br />4. If your tram hits a person, it's time to start walking, because that whole line will get shut down for hours (so please heed point 3 above)<br />5. Melbournians have a big chip on their shoulder against Sydneysiders.<br />6. You will learn based on #5, that Sydney has never been the capital of australia, but Melbourne has.<br />7. Melbourne is one of those cities that has been known to have all 4 seasons... On the same day. I actually experienced this.<br />8. Melbourne is one of the few cities where getting lost can be easily accomplished and will yield some beautiful discoveries of cafes, shops and restaurants in the tiniest of dark alleys.<br />9. Three days is nowhere close to enough to enjoy Melbourne, between the beauty of the Great Ocean road, the wine and color of the Yarra Valley, and the charm of this Victorian city I feel like I need several more months to fully appreciate it.<br />10. Great phrase from a Melbournian, "Sydney is wonderful for a one-night stand, beautiful and flashy, but completely superficial; but Melbourne is who you want to build a relationship and take home to meet mum" (see #5 above)<br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-8722230425567363362011-09-01T04:06:00.001-05:002011-09-01T04:06:56.387-05:00Totah tours Sydney - part 1In an effort to visit every continent in our world, I decided to come visit Australia this year.<br /><br />To say that it was a planned trip may not be fair, since I did quite a bit of research, and was helped by some great locals I was put in touch with. So far in my first 3 days I have done non stop touring. There is so much to do and see that I'm trying to do as much as possible every day. Including trying to get over 2 full days of traveling and the expected jet lag from flying to the opposite side of the planet.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/112091332978601609643/TheTotahQuota?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHN0ZjChIfU-QE#5647315092843522610'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7Nxri_9192E/Tl9LJ_uj6jI/AAAAAAAAAGg/yX_6YraiJZI/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Day 1: Arrived in Sydney after a great set of flights on Thai Airways (business and First class). In an effort to fight off jet lag I decided to go out and start exploring the city as soon as I could. Ian my first hours I covered a lot of ground, I managed to walk all over town and visit the circular quay area, the opera house and the botanical gardens. On a whim I decided to join a "free" walking tour of the city delivered by a very charismatic local tour guide, called Michelle. She walked us all over town visiting all the major landmarks and delivering some great information about these sights. I probably managed to walk for about 8 straight hours, which had the desired effect, by 6 pm I was drained. After a wonderful Greek dinner around the corner from my hotel at a restaurant called Medusa, I went straight to bed since I had an early wake up the next morning...<br /><br />Day 2: Proved to be even more exhausting than the first day... Due to the jet lag, I couldn't sleep past 5 am, which will make for a very long day. Because I was told I'd have great weather on this day, I was convinced to book a tour to the blue mountains, which proved to be a great decision. This tour picked me up at 7:40 am and we set off around 8 from their bus terminal.<br /><br /><br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/112091332978601609643/TheTotahQuota?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHN0ZjChIfU-QE#5647315103396527874'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qvKAs49lD3c/Tl9LKnCl_wI/AAAAAAAAAGk/kOr_A_gOr8g/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Our first stop was at an animal preserve called Featherbend wildlife park. In this park we got to pet a koala and kangaroos, see dingoes, alligators, snakes and a large amount of birds native to Australia. After the visit to the park we took off towards the Blue Mountains, our next stop was Echo Point, which is a great lookout with commanding views of the Three Sisters and the rest of the mountains. After a few pictures, we headed to Scenic World that allowed us to see the blue mountains from multiple vantage points and attractions. Including a cable car ride, a very steep train ride into the valley, some well placed walkways and another ride up from the valley. At one point I even managed to go "off-track" enough to almost get totally lost in the valley area. I will admit that that's where I captured the best views, but after 30 mins of walking around I realized I might be a bit "lost", so I doubled back and managed to meet up with the tour bus without a problem.<br /><br /><br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/112091332978601609643/TheTotahQuota?authkey=Gv1sRgCJHN0ZjChIfU-QE#5647315117352819074'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ya0QpGWhPHw/Tl9LLbCCGYI/AAAAAAAAAGo/kqzwnUQbfkQ/s288/3.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' align='left' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Our next few stops took us to the small quaint town of Leura and then on our way back we stopped at Sydney's Olympic park (site of the 2000 Olympics). On our way back our great bus driver, Greg, dropped us off at a Ferry terminal, off the Paramatta river, where we boarded a ferry that took me back to Darling Harbor a few blocks away from my hotel. After another long and exhausting day I had a cheap dinner at a riverfront restaurant offering 10 dollar steaks, which I will have to say for this town is a CHEAP meal... And still, the steak was nothing to write home about, but I was probably too tired to enjoy anything more than that. By spending a couple of hours at the hotel bar checking email, I managed to stay awake until after 10 pm, helping me reset my clock to local time... At least that was the intent, before Day 3...<br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-25206408364167446812011-08-28T19:23:00.001-05:002011-08-28T19:23:41.977-05:00Dealing with ambiguity on vacationAt work we always use the term "dealing with ambiguity" as part of our competency definition. In a nutshell it's used to describe the ability to go with the flow.<br /><br />Last night I got to experience it in a different context, when I found out that my long planned vacation, missed a key component. I didn't validate the information I was given about not needing a visa to get into Thailand. So, halfway on my trip I had to adjust plans on the fly and forego my stop in Bangkok... Never mind happy endings, this wasn't the happiest of beginnings to my vacation. <br /><br />At least as much as it sucks, I now know better and I'll get to spend 12 fun filled hours in Bangkok's airport, waiting on my connection to Sydney.<br /><br />The good news is that I was able to be flexible and am not letting the minor setback ruin the taste of this vacation. <br /><br />Who knows, I may get to make it to the Great barrier reef after all...<br /><br /><br /><br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-79125926753504085832011-08-26T17:56:00.001-05:002011-08-26T17:56:10.880-05:00Getting Ready to FlyAfter a few months of planning, my vacation is finally about to begin. There's less than 24 hours to go and I have yet to start packing...<br /><br />At least I'm very proud of all my planning and research so far. I have friends who have connected me with their friends in the different destinations and I feel like I have a good plan ready to go.<br /><br />With the bags packed, I'll be ready to go on another adventure soon enough and will be posting pictures and updates regularly.<br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-28324549766596527122011-08-01T20:28:00.000-05:002011-08-01T20:28:17.181-05:00Tentative Australia Itinerary<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have finally booked my vacation airline ticket and it looks as if I'm good to go to visit Bangkok and Sydney. They say that the journey is a big part of the experience, and to make that also be a great part of it I figured I'd get plane tickets in first class, since after all I already flew enough miles last year to afford it as a reward ticket.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm trying to build a solid and packed itinerary, and having extended my stay for a few extra days,&nbsp;I now need to figure out where else to visit in Australia to make the most of my trip. Considering that I want to avoid blowing my budget anything I do will need to have a cheap way to get there and hopefully cheaper lodging than Sydney.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what I have so far, if anybody has other recommendations or additions I'm all ears:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/2: Arrive Sydney&nbsp;– Rest up and maybe do the city tour bus… Go out drinking (Friday!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/3: Tour around: Opera House / Bridge Tour – Drinking (Saturday!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/4: Museums and other touristy stuff that might be open (Probably Drink a bit more since it's Sunday!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/5: Wine Tour to Hunter Valley (Enough Said - Drinking all day!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/6: Blue Mountains</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/7: Blue Mountains or fly somewhere else (Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth)?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/8 Other city</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/9: Other City</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/10: Other City – maybe fly back in the evening and overnight at the SYD airport.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9/11: Take flight back to Sydney and leave Sydney at 2 pm.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall, should be a lot of fun!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-11851814397444351352011-07-27T17:25:00.000-05:002011-07-27T17:25:32.744-05:00On Leadership...<div> <div id="ColorBandedcontent" style="clear: both; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative;"> <div id="imwidget" style="margin-left: 5px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I had a good chat with my new manager about the change that takes place when one becomes a&nbsp;people manager from&nbsp;having been an top performing&nbsp;individual contributor&nbsp;in the past.</span></div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While I have a lot of thoughts on the topic from my team management experience a long time ago, I thought that in this case I'd go and ask one of my former managers that I respect the most at the company.</span></div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This was a manager that went to bat for me, when needed, to help me achieve my job faster. One other thing I'll say made a huge difference in working for her was getting very clear guidance on what success looked like for our team so we would know if we had delivered.</span></div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">When I asked A. L. (her initials) about her management philosophy she boiled it down to the following 4 points:</span></div><div style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>&nbsp;</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><div id="imcontent" style="margin-left: 12px;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>1) Complete transparency</strong></em></span></div></span></div></div></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><div><div id="ColorBandedcontent" style="clear: both; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div id="imcontent" style="margin-left: 12px;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>2. Your team shouldn't work harder than me. I should always play bad cop and take away obstacles</strong></em></span></div></span></div></div></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><br /><div><div id="ColorBandedcontent" style="clear: both; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div id="imcontent" style="margin-left: 12px;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>3) Promote my team</strong></em></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div id="ColorBandedcontent" style="clear: both; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div id="imwidget" style="margin-left: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div id="imcontent" style="margin-left: 12px;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>4) Manage the bad ones out</strong></em></span></div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Personally I believe this is a pretty solid list of key practices for a good manager to follow, but what made A.L in my opinion a great manager was the following comment she made towards the end of our chat:</span></div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I&nbsp;am the exact person I am at home and at work...so I am not role playing</span></em></strong></div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This is probably one of the critical items based on my experience that distinguishes good managers from great managers. A good manager follows the list above, a great manager lives the list!</span></div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>&nbsp;</div><div style="color: black; direction: ltr;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks A.L. for the great chat today!</span></div></div></span></div></div></div>Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-80254074892543922252011-05-30T21:23:00.000-05:002011-05-30T21:23:51.933-05:00Vacation Plans 2011After all the travel I have been doing for the past year, some of my friends ask me if I'm tired of it.<br /><br />The truth is that, no i'm not tired of it... yet.<br /><br />Though I have to admit it would be nice to plan a trip for personal purposes.<br /><br />Since I have a goal of covering all the continents over the next few years, I figure that I'd like to explore Australia (leaving Africa as my final frontier to explore, maybe next year?)<br /><br />I have been researching some options and I'm trying to figure out how to get there and maximize my experience (without breaking the bank).<br /><br />This is an initial itinerary, but would love any reader's input (i'll be updating as the date gets closer and my plans become locked).<br /><br />Also, note that the dates are relatively flexible and they may be pushed out it better deals become available, but this is just a rough draft.<br /><br />Depart TX via LAX on Friday, August 26th.<br />Depending on the airline I'll probably spend until August 31st in their main stop. Current options are (will depend on price, but the airlines needs to be part of the Star Alliance or Continental partner to get me mileage credit):<br /><ul><li>Thai Airlines, stopping in Bangkok</li><li>Air New Zealand, stopping in Auckland</li><li>Emirate Airlines, stopping in Dubai (currently way out of price range</li></ul>Arrive in Sydney on August 31st<br /><ul><li>Sept 1st&nbsp; thru 5th- Sydney</li></ul>Travel to Melbourne on Sept. 6th<br /><ul><li>Sept 6th thru 9th Melbourne</li></ul>Travel back on Sept 10th<br /><br />I'll try to expand on the plans for each leg as the date gets closer and I get more feedback.Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-35480697785473545102011-02-12T19:33:00.001-06:002011-02-12T19:33:24.802-06:00Zen and the art of waiting<div><p>Considering how rushed we live our lives, I sometimes wonder why? What are we in such a hurry for? We all end up the same way.<br>With that thought in mind I am trying hard to control my impatience.<br>I was just congratulated at a restaurant for my zen like approach to a longer than expected wait. I'm not sure if the beer helped me find my chi, or if the chi was bringing me beers.<br>Either way, I didn't mind the wait as much as I thought I might. Even though I was starving, I believe the great food made it worth it.<br>Besides, it's not like I had anything more important to do.<br>Living the moment is what's it all about.</p></div>Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-56898421216795670652010-09-10T19:06:00.000-05:002010-09-10T19:06:25.327-05:00Creative Destruction Part 2: Personal life editionMy loyal readers (probably just me...), might remember last year's post on <a href="http://www.totahquota.com/2009/02/creative-destruction-executive-job.html">Creative Destruction: Executive Job Edition</a>... Turns out I actually believe the theory holds beyond just work. It even applies to people's personal lives.<br /><br />At least, right now I feel I'm going through precisely that vortex. Everything I believed in, is no longer valid, and everything I was hoping for is now beyond my grasp. What got me to this point? Creative destruction. The hope and belief that out of this dark hole will emerge new opportunities, dreams and hopes. Essentially the opportunity for a new life comes out from the missed opportunities of my old self.<br /><br />Right now I'm in the beginning of my journey down my rabbit hole. But as time goes by I hope to start turning dreams into reality again. That's the only way to live. Expecting that the future WILL get better, no matter how bad it might look today.<br /><br />Here's hoping that the theory holds.Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-45319169755182680852010-09-04T22:31:00.001-05:002010-09-04T22:31:23.886-05:00Tough Life<br>What do people do when life gives them lemons? <br><br />Few of us make lemonade, that is the truth. Which is why we found the stories about those who do so inspirational.<br><br />Since i am not making lemonade, i am at least trying to make some margaritas. At least a lot of the bitterness gets dissipated thanks to the alcohol.<br><br />A lot of platitudes exist to explain why life is tough. In my current view. C'est la vie.<br />Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-11880608834458277552010-03-31T16:43:00.000-05:002010-03-31T16:43:20.165-05:00Wine Mecca: MendozaToday I have spent my first day in Mendoza, and I have come to the conclusion it seriously deserves the title of "Wine Mecca", thanks to its large number of wineries (1200+) and the quality of its wine.<br /><br />I have come out from touring 4 of Mendoza's wineries and they were all wonderful. Some of these were small, other large. Some were even massive (Catena Zapata), while others were brand new. Overall, the experience so far beats Napa into the ground and makes me root for the underdog.<br /><br />Between the great wines at Bressia and the 4/5 course meal with wine pairings at Ruca Malen, I am still in vacation heaven, so I will wait to post more pictures and comments.<br /><br />But in the meantime, all I can say is that if you haven't visited Mendoza yet, you're totally missing out...<br /><br />Tomorrow I go to Valle de Uco, also known as Argentina's best wine source.<br /><br />Gotta love vacationining sometimes!Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-17633003945625501472010-03-06T19:40:00.001-06:002010-03-06T19:40:43.062-06:00From Apple to Google... Thank you AT&TWhen is a phone no longer a phone?<br /><br />Guess that is when it's an iPhone.<br /><br />After almost a full year of trying to use my iPhone on AT&T, i came to the realization that phones should be used for phone calls first. Apps should come second.<br /><br />This week I bit the bullet and decided it was better for my sanity to break my contract and move back to Verizon.<br /><br />A week later I'm thrilled with my new Droid. Not only have I not dropped a call yet, but I also have apps that l can blog from.<br /><br />Thank you common sense for saving me.Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-59202359695168733082009-12-18T13:50:00.000-06:002009-12-18T13:50:34.736-06:00Year in Review 2009At the beginning of this year and then halfway through it I promised I'd blog more... well, I didn't. And that's OK.<br />As my friend Marcos said, as long as I don't post that I will post more often, it will all be OK.<br />On that note I wanted to write down some of my thoughts on 2009.<br /><ol><li>2009 sucked!</li><li>2009 was ok.<br /></li><li>2009 was Awesome!!</li></ol>I guess that pretty much covers it then...<br /><br />Looking back this was a year with ups, downs and all around.<br />The year started coming out of a bloody economic beating with a lousy job market full of storm clouds. Some mild depression on the overall world situation and no signs of improvement.<br /><br />A third of the way through, the year started improving. New managers, some travel to places like Alaska and Miami to keep myself entertained and some very interesting career opportunities came up that were worth a second look.<br /><br />The last third of the year was probably the best on a professional level. One of those opportunities DID work out and thus I moved from an operational role, where I felt like I had seen it all before to a very exciting new role in the company's marketing team for Latin America. The past 4 months have had me learning a lot about our business and teams in the Latin America regions and getting to travel enough to keep my wanderlust in check. At the same time, there's a bunch of good things going on with the rest of my family, since my dad and wife both got new jobs that have provided them too with new energy.<br /><br />As the year comes to a close, I am looking forward to 2010 since it promises some very interesting challenges and new opportunities... It's not 12/31 yet, but I think it's time to start popping the cork on some bubbly...Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-56176592265108402812009-11-01T12:14:00.003-06:002009-11-01T13:15:25.298-06:00A New HopeAfter a VERY long absence from Blogging I'm back. During the past few months I got the opportunity to do a lot of introspection and examination of my choices so far.<br />During that time I didn't feel like blogging about it, but after some time I am feeling a lot better about everything.<br />I have changed roles and found a place where I feel much happier about my work and what I'm doing. I'm meeting a bunch of new people that share parts of my background and am also getting to spend time traveling outside of the office, which keeps me energized.<br />Overall I will try to keep up more with my blogging and write about my travels and places I get to visit (especially where I get to eat at and visit).<br />As the year winds down, I'm very upbeat on 2010.Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5809789274617065578.post-67351131813553111412009-02-09T15:00:00.003-06:002009-02-09T15:45:30.385-06:00Creative Destruction: Executive Job EditionAs we hear of the growing unemployment in the country one thing that I have been noticing lately is that in the large numbers of <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/layoffs/">jobs <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">disappearing</span> </a>during the past few months, the majority of these jobs have been from within the rank and file. It's possible that one more reason we find ourselves in the terrible economic situation we're in is that not enough Director and VP level jobs have been lost in large companies (at least that is until now, since companies are now having to start cutting more across all levels).<br /><br />The reason I believe this has been an issue is that during the last few years <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">VPs</span> and Directors at most large companies have been very handsomely rewarded for riding out a growing economy that provided positive results overall. This made it easy for them to keep a high paying job that became comfortable for them. In some cases Senior <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VP's</span> are compensated even higher than the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CEOs</span> of the companies they work for, prompting them to stay put and enjoy the ride.<br /><br />As the economy started deteriorating these same executives made significant cuts in their teams that allowed them to keep their large bonuses. This reduction showed positive short term results, while hamstringing the company in the long run. Now, as the companies are forced to realign once again, we are starting to see some of these <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/dell-cannon-get-10-million/story.aspx?guid=%7B769D3306-97A9-4185-98F8-7A41C956D384%7D">execs leaving the company </a>voluntarily or involuntarily.<br /><br />The key thing to consider is that I have rarely heard of a good executive remaining unemployed for longer than 3-6 months (unless they chose to take a break). In many cases executives with proven track records get hired to lead larger organizations and continue to develop their skills and grow existing businesses. But probably the most important piece that we now require are those other executives who decide to start their own business.<br /><br />These newly "promoted" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">CEO's</span> are what we need more off in today's economy. As they develop a new company, they require a new batch of managers and executives to help them run the company. The best place to find them is in their old company or in the large group of recently laid off employees out in the marketplace. As the company grows these new managers and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">VP's</span> need to build teams below them. This "circle of employment" is what will help us leap out of the current recession.<br /><br />Companies that have laid off employees from their middle layers will struggle to come out of the downturn, since they will face a serious lack of future leadership. While in turn, companies that have made cuts across the board will generate new businesses from their alumni and continue to provide growth and opportunities within the company, by vacating senior and executive positions alike.<br /><br />As I look at some of the new legislation coming out of Washington, I hope to see pieces in it that will help small businesses to grow stronger. I also hope that as companies are forced to cut their workforce, more of these cuts will impact the executive suite in turn providing opportunities for new leadership to drive us out of today's mess.Funny Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082134394714508027noreply@blogger.com0